PRINTING United Expo Hot Products Spotlight: Zünd G3 BHS 150 Flatbed CNC/Router/Cutter

(Editor's note: This review of the Zünd G3 BHS 150 Flatbed CNC/Router/Cutter, which will debut at the upcoming PRINTING United Expo, is part of an ongoing series featuring longtime industry consultant David Zwang's rundown of his "Must See" products that will be on the show floor.)

Zünd always has a very big and busy booth at the PRINTING United Expo. After all, their systems support a wide range of print finishing, including plastic, paper, corrugated, textile, wood, etc. While they will have many application-based solutions running for the 2023 expo, their booth will be buzzing as they highlight their G3 Flatbed system.

Zünd G3 BHS 150 Flatbed CNC/Router/Cutter

The G3 is kind of an ‘all-rounder’ because it can do it all. It can accommodate every tool that they offer, and has three modules with tools available at any given time. Zünd’s modular design lets you put together a tailor-made cutting solution configured to meet specific production needs, and adapts to new requirements with modifications and upgrades. It comes in 5 different cutter sizes with widths from 70 to 126 inches. The G3 line lets you select the perfect machine size for all production needs, no matter the area of application or run size. On a G3 cutting system, you can process materials up to a thickness of 110 mm (4.3 in.), with 2.1 G acceleration.

More than 25 tools are available to handle specific requirements, and the automatic router bit/tool changer (ARC) dramatically reduces set-up times and simplifies tool handling. The magazine can accommodate up to eight different cutting, polishing, or engraving bits. The bits needed for processing are automatically removed, clamped, initialized, and cleaned after each use.

In the booth, the G3 BHS150 will be set up for boards. It will have a routing system on it with an automatic tool changer and will be set up for tandem operation. In tandem operation It uses half of the table to process a board, and the operator can load another board on the other half of the table while the machine is cutting. In tandem operation, the machine essentially never stops, whether you have an automatic board feeding system or it is an operator-fed system.

Zünd will have other solutions on display in the booth as well. The D3, which is basically a dual-beam version of the G3, can be configured for processing textiles. In textile processing, given that there can be quite a bit of distortion, you generally need a lot more register marks than for a static board. This will be configured with an overhead camera system, which is important for textiles, since it can read as many registration marks as is suitable for the job that you are doing.

Zünd will also be talking about their 4^th generation Q-Line systems. These systems are geared toward automation, speed, and high tolerance. These systems can support robot ported tables for automatic loading and unloading of pallets. The higher speed comes from a new linear drive system.